Great Players The Saints Didn’t Draft: Andre Reed

The 2016 NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday, April 28, in Chicago, Illinois.

Between now and then, we’ll be looking back at some of the past drafts by the Saints, and some of the better players they passed up on when it was their turn to pick.

Of course, every NFL team has had their “steals” and “busts” over the years, as the NFL Draft is such an inexact science, but it’s kind of fun, and at times, agonizing, to look back and see what players they could have, and maybe even should have drafted.

Today, we go back to the 1985 NFL Draft.

In the first round, with the 24th-overall pick, the Saints selected Tennessee linebacker Alvin Toles.

Not a good pick, to say the least, as Holden played in only 4 seasons, including only one as a starter.

In the second round, with the 38th-overall selection, the Saints picked Cal State-Fullerton offensive tackle Darren Gilbert, who was a better selection than Toles, but still only played 4 seasons, including 2 as a part-time starter.

Obviously, the Saints could have done a lot better.

Now, in the third round, the took USC linebacker Jack Del Rio, who had a solid NFL career, but only played two seasons, as a back-up, for the Saints.

Meanwhile, with the second pick in the fourth round, the Buffalo Bills selected Andre Reed, a receiver from tiny Kutztown (Pennsylvania).

It was a great pick by the Bills, as Reed turned out to be one of the best receivers of the late 80's and early 90's.

A 7-time Pro Bowler, Reed was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.